About the Journal

Focus and Scope

The Journal of Maritime Transportation and Innovation focuses on research related to maritime transportation systems and the innovative methods, technologies, and approaches that support their planning, operation, and management. The journal covers a broad range of topics across shipping, ports, maritime logistics, navigation, and traffic systems, with particular attention to engineering, technological, and data-driven innovations that address contemporary challenges in maritime transportation.

The journal aims to provide an international platform for high-quality, peer-reviewed research that advances both theoretical understanding and practical solutions in maritime transportation.

The journal is grounded in a strong disciplinary base that combines maritime engineering, transportation systems, operations research, and logistics, while remaining open to contributions from related fields such as data science, risk analysis, environmental studies, and policy research. Ideologically, the journal is neutral and evidence-driven, with a commitment to scientific rigor, transparency, and reproducibility. It does not promote a particular school of thought or methodology, but rather encourages diverse perspectives and approaches that are scientifically sound and relevant to maritime transportation and innovation.

Peer Review Policy

The journal operates a blind peer review process and reviewers will assess manuscripts based on a number of criteria including:

  • originality
  • technical and methodological soundness
  • clarity of presentation
  • relevance to maritime transportation and innovation
  • contribution to existing knowledge.

The journal aims to provide an initial editorial decision within 4-6 weeks of submission. Revised manuscripts are assessed promptly, and final decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief or handling editor.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content with no submission or publication fees. The content in this journal is published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence that allows others to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full text of works in this journal, or to use them for any other lawful purpose in accordance with the licence.  

Notice and Takedown Policy

If you are a rights holder and are concerned that you have found material in LJMU Open Journals which infringes UK law, please contact us by emailing openjournals@ljmu.ac.uk, stating the following:

  1. Your contact details and the reason for the withdrawal request, some examples are:
    1. Unauthorised use by reason of reproduction and/or making available the material
    2. Breach of moral right of [paternity/integrity/right not to have my work subjected to derogatory treatment]
    3. Other complaints, e.g. defamation, breach of confidence, data protection
  1. The full bibliographic details of the material and the full URL
  2. Proof that you are the rights holder or are an authorised representative.

 Upon receipt of notification the ‘Notice and Takedown’ procedure is then invoked as follows:

  1. LJMU will acknowledge receipt of your complaint by email or letter and will make an initial assessment of the validity and plausibility of the complaint. We aim to acknowledge and assess the complaint within seven days of receipt.
  2. Where grounds for complaint are plausible, the material will be temporarily removed from public view in LJMU Open Journals pending an agreed solution.
  3. LJMU will contact the contributor who deposited the material, if relevant. The contributor will be notified that the material is subject to a complaint, under what allegations, and will be encouraged to assuage the complaints concerned.
  4. The complainant and the contributor will be encouraged to resolve the issue swiftly and amicably and to the satisfaction of both parties, with the following possible outcomes:
    1. The material is replaced on LJMU Open Journals unchanged.
    2. The material is replaced on LJMU Open Journals with changes.
    3. The material is permanently removed from LJMU Open Journals.
    4. In some cases, a metadata record will remain. This will be on a case-by-case basis.

If the contributor and the complainant are unable to agree a solution from receipt of notification, the material will remain unavailable through LJMU Open Journals until a time when a resolution has been reached. It may be necessary for us to seek legal advice before the complaint can be fully resolved.